This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Makino, Y. Articles by Kawarabayashi, T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Makino, Y. Articles by Kawarabayashi, T. Related Collections Other hypertension

(Hypertension. 2002;39:781.)
© 2002 American Heart Association, Inc.

Scientific Contributions

Alteration of Plasma Ghrelin Levels Associated With the Blood Pressure in Pregnancy

Yasuo Makino; Hiroshi Hosoda; Kazuhiko Shibata; Ikuko Makino; Masayasu Kojima; Kenji Kangawa; Tatsuhiko Kawarabayashi

From the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Y.M., I.M., T.K.) and Research Laboratory of Biodynamics (K.S.), School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan; and National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute (H.H., M.K., K.K.), Osaka, Japan.

Correspondence to Yasuo Makino, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, 45-1, 7-chome Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan. E-mail makino-y{at}fukuoka-u.ac.jp

Ghrelin, an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogues, was originally isolated from rat stomach. It stimulates the release of growth hormone from primary pituitary cell cultures. We investigated the plasma concentration of ghrelin peptide in 16 nonpregnant women, 18 normal pregnant women, 20 patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension, and 10 postpartum women. The plasma concentration of ghrelin in nonpregnant women was 239.5±16.9 fmol/mL. The plasma concentration of ghrelin in normal pregnant women at the third trimester was 127.1±5.6 fmol/mL. There was negative correlation between plasma ghrelin concentration and systemic blood pressure in normal pregnant women (systolic: r=-0.564, P<0.05; diastolic: r=-0.610, P<0.01). Pregnant women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (177.9±14.6 fmol/mL, P<0.05) also had significantly higher levels of ghrelin compared with those of normal pregnant women. In addition, there was a significant correlation between plasma ghrelin levels and systemic blood pressure (systolic: r=-0.482, P<0.05; diastolic: r=-0.466, P<0.05). These results suggest for the first time that ghrelin might have some role in cardiovascular control during normal pregnancy and in pathophysiological conditions in pregnancy, such as pregnancy-induced hypertension.

Key Words: blood pressure • growth substances • preeclampsia • pregnancy

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. Tham, J. Liu, S. Innis, D. Thompson, B. D. Gaylinn, R. Bogarin, A. Haim, M. O. Thorner, and J.-P. Chanoine Acylated ghrelin concentrations are markedly decreased during pregnancy in mothers with and without gestational diabetes: relationship with cholinesterase Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, May 1, 2009; 296(5): E1093 - E1100. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Vidal, J. Roa, L. Pinilla, A. Pellicer, and M. Tena-Sempere Maternal serum ghrelin levels in early IVF pregnancies: lack of prognostic value for viable pregnancy and altered post-prandial responses Hum. Reprod., April 1, 2008; 23(4): 958 - 963. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. M. Raso, G. Bianco, A. Iacono, E. Esposito, G. Autore, M. C. Ferrante, A. Calignano, and R. Meli Maternal adaptations to pregnancy in spontaneously hypertensive rats: leptin and ghrelin evaluation J. Endocrinol., September 1, 2007; 194(3): 611 - 619. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Baessler, M. Fischer, B. Mayer, M. Koehler, S. Wiedmann, K. Stark, A. Doering, J. Erdmann, G. Riegger, H. Schunkert, et al. Epistatic interaction between haplotypes of the ghrelin ligand and receptor genes influence susceptibility to myocardial infarction and coronary artery disease Hum. Mol. Genet., April 15, 2007; 16(8): 887 - 899. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Nakahara, M. Nakagawa, Y. Baba, M. Sato, K. Toshinai, Y. Date, M. Nakazato, M. Kojima, M. Miyazato, H. Kaiya, et al. Maternal Ghrelin Plays an Important Role in Rat Fetal Development during Pregnancy Endocrinology, March 1, 2006; 147(3): 1333 - 1342. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T Akamizu, T Murayama, S Teramukai, K Miura, I Bando, T Irako, H Iwakura, H Ariyasu, H Hosoda, H Tada, et al. Plasma ghrelin levels in healthy elderly volunteers: the levels of acylated ghrelin in elderly females correlate positively with serum IGF-I levels and bowel movement frequency and negatively with systolic blood pressure J. Endocrinol., February 1, 2006; 188(2): 333 - 344. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Lebenthal, G. Gat-Yablonski, B. Shtaif, A. Padoa, M. Phillip, and L. Lazar Effect of Sex Hormone Administration on Circulating Ghrelin Levels in Peripubertal Children J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., January 1, 2006; 91(1): 328 - 331. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. J. van der Lely, M. Tschop, M. L. Heiman, and E. Ghigo Biological, Physiological, Pathophysiological, and Pharmacological Aspects of Ghrelin Endocr. Rev., June 1, 2004; 25(3): 426 - 457. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. M. Poykko, E. Kellokoski, S. Horkko, H. Kauma, Y. A. Kesaniemi, and O. Ukkola Low Plasma Ghrelin Is Associated With Insulin Resistance, Hypertension, and the Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Diabetes, October 1, 2003; 52(10): 2546 - 2553. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Groschl, R. Wagner, J. Dotsch, W. Rascher, and M. Rauh Preanalytical Influences on the Measurement of Ghrelin Clin. Chem., July 1, 2002; 48(7): 1114 - 1116. [Full Text] [PDF]